Consumers are being advised to use their credit cards in order to protect themselves and their purchases in the event of firms going bust.

The advice, from Bridgend County Borough Council's Trading Standards, says using a credit card while shopping is a canny way to protect purchases.

With high street retailers struggling as the economy slows down, undelivered goods and services paid for with cash are at risk if a firm - such as the former travel agency XL - goes bust.

But using plastic to make a purchase offers protection in the right circumstances.

A spokesman for the Bridgend unit said: "If you buy goods or services from a trader using a credit card, then by law, the credit card company is jointly liable for a breach of contract if the cost of the goods or service was more than £100 or less than £30,000."

The advice follows official figures showing the UK economy shrank by 0.5% between July and September showing the economy is on the brink of a recession.